


sword lily

by spiritshipping



Series: Smilesaku2019 [2]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Fluff, Language of Flowers, LetsMakeYusakuSmile2019, M/M, Recovery, Smilesaku2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-03-01 10:42:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18798736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiritshipping/pseuds/spiritshipping
Summary: Seeing Jin go from living in fear so bad that he couldn’t stand, to going outside, watering flowers, and smiling in response to something Yusaku said...it filled Yusaku’s heart with a feeling he couldn’t identify. A warm, fluttering feeling.yusaku is happy just watching jin blossom. written for #Smilesaku2019, prompt 2: bloom.





	sword lily

**Author's Note:**

> im like 3 days behind but its fine

The first time Yusaku met Jin in person, he was just as Kusanagi-san said. He was so deeply traumatized that he sat frozen in the corner of his room, not daring to utter a word.

 

He knew it wasn’t the best idea to approach him -- he risked terrifying Jin more than he constantly was -- but he did. He had to.

 

He knelt by Jin, keeping a safe distance between them.

 

“It’s over, Jin.”

 

Jin lifted his head up, making eye contact for just a second, but Yusaku didn’t miss the way the artificial light made his eyes shine.

 

“It’s over.”

 

He didn’t speak, but his next actions spoke louder than any words could. Jin crossed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around Yusaku tightly, clinging to him like a lifeline. Jin buried his face in the crook of Yusaku’s neck, and Yusaku could feel his shaky breath on his skin.

 

Carefully, he returned the hug. “You’re safe now.”

 

* * *

 

  


Since then, Yusaku had been allowed to see Jin regularly. He didn't go as often as Kusanagi-san. Yusaku knew Kusanagi-san needed to spend time with his little brother, so Yusaku was more than willing to tend to Café Nagi in his stead. Every time Yusaku did visit, though, he was captivated by how much Jin had grown since he was last there. It was such a relief, knowing Jin was coming to realize he was safe.

 

Kusanagi-san had even allowed Yusaku to visit Jin by himself. He trusted that Yusaku wouldn't do anything detrimental to Jin's progress. The fact that they had been through the same thing cemented that trust. Yusaku wasn't sure about going on his own at first; social situations weren't his strong suit and he didn't know why Jin would want to see him, but his concern for his peer won out. Whenever Kusanagi-san mentioned Jin, Yusaku would ask when he could visit next.

 

At first, they only stayed in Jin's room, but they gradually moved to the common area, and eventually to the courtyard. Jin was improving in leaps and bounds. He still didn't speak much -- only a word or two on a good day -- but Yusaku didn't mind. He wasn't a talkative person himself, and Jin seemed comfortable in the silence. Jin normally had a nurse at his side whenever he left his room, but if Yusaku or Kusanagi-san were there, Jin was allowed to go without. There were nurses stationed around the courtyard regardless, so it wasn't as if Jin was without help if he needed it.

 

The few times they'd been to the courtyard, Jin always took Yusaku to the small garden. When Jin was in a particularly good mood, the nurses would let him water the flowers. Yusaku didn't want to intrude, so he just watched as Jin tipped the watering can forward, watching the dirt gradually get darker. Jin was the most calm like this, tending to the flowers even as the summer rays beat down on them.

 

"...Gladiolus," Jin mumbled after he finished, turning to Yusaku. He still couldn't make eye contact with him for more than a second.

 

Gladiolus…?

 

"Oh, the flowers." Yusaku's knowledge of the world only spanned to what related to coding and dueling. Maybe he had known other things in the past -- he was named for a flower, after all -- but if he did, those memories were replaced with memories of electricity and hunger pains. "I've never seen them before."

 

Jin nodded, thinking for a moment before forcing a whisper, "Strength."

 

Yusaku tilted his head slightly, but didn’t want to ask Jin what he meant by that. He didn’t want Jin to force himself.

 

Still, Jin picked up on his telltale sign of confusion, and continued, “The gladiolus...it symbolizes strength.”

 

In possibly the longest sentence Jin had said to him, he opened up another world in Yusaku’s mind. Of course, the flowers were planted to give the courtyard a more welcoming feeling, but Yusaku wasn’t thinking about the hospital itself. He was thinking about Jin, and how he’d fought for the past decade just to hang onto life. He thought about how that purple color resembled Jin’s hair, which had become so much healthier and softer over the past month or so. He thought about how that deep purple could be seen in Jin’s eyes, which had seen things that a child should never have to see. Most of all, he saw the strength of that flower that stood tall even when the wind blew through it. It was sharp, formidable, but mysterious and graceful at the same time.

 

“It’s also called ‘sword lily.’” Jin added.

 

A thought occurred to him then: if Yusaku was the strongest spear and Kusanagi-san was the strongest shield, then Jin was the strongest sword.

 

But they didn’t have to fight anymore.

 

Yusaku glanced back at the flowers. He considered picking one for a moment, but couldn’t bring himself to tear that flower away from its family and home. He wasn’t sure when he got so sentimental.

 

“They fit you.”

 

Jin looked up at Yusaku, wide-eyed.

 

“You’re stronger than you realize, Jin.”

 

Jin paused for a moment, before softly smiling. This was the part where he was supposed to smile back -- normally, he wouldn’t be able to, but now, he couldn’t stop smiling. Seeing Jin go from living in fear so bad that he couldn’t stand, to going outside, watering flowers, and smiling in response to something Yusaku said...it filled Yusaku’s heart with a feeling he couldn’t identify. A warm, fluttering feeling.

 

“So are you...Yusaku.”

**Author's Note:**

> this was my first yusaku ship and i FINALLY wrote them!! daybreakshipping more like deserveshappinessshipping


End file.
